MINNEAPOLIS, Kan. — Editors note: The video above originally aired July 4, 2021.
The Minnesota Twins beat Toronto 7-2 to bump the Blue Jays back in the AL wild-card race.
Nick Gordon drove in four runs and Michael Pineda won his third straight start for the Twins.
The loss was especially costly for Toronto. The Blue Jays fell a full game behind New York for the second spot and three games behind wild-card leader Boston.
Compounding the hurt is that left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exited in the fifth inning after teammate Randal Grichuk accidentally stepped on his right hand in the outfield. X-rays were negative, but his availability is day-to-day.
Twins pitchers were not exactly in shutdown mode, allowing 11 hits, but they were mostly scattered as to not let the Jays get back in the game. Gordon, an infielder by trade, played an outfield spot Thursday but that didn't slow his red-hot September a bit. He collected three hits and four RBI, three of them on a 5th-inning homer.
"Honestly, I just want to keep going,” Gordon said on Bally Sports North. “I want to keep working. I don’t feel great, but I don’t feel bad. You know, I feel like you’ve got to just keep working every day. Every day is a grind and the results will be there for themselves.”
It's not only at the plate where Gordon is contributing. He played right field Thursday night, and has also manned second base, third base, shortstop, left field and center field this season. MLB.com says he is only the seventh player in club history to appear at all of those positions in a season, and the first since Danny Santana in 2016.
Recently-returned catcher Mitch Garver chipped in on the win over Toronto with three hits himself. Twins starter Michael Pineda picked up the win, his third straight.
The two clubs resume their series Friday night, with Twins rookie Bailey Ober taking on Minnesota's former staff ace Jose Berrios, who was traded to the Jays earlier this summer.